Puberty

Pubertyoccurs when a child experiences the physical and hormonal changes that signal growth to adulthood.

Hormonal shifts during this time trigger a menstrual cycle in females.

When youstart having your period, your cycle length can be between 21 and 45 days.

Overhead image of a woman sitting on a sofa using a menstrual cycle calendar

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Skipping periods during the first couple of years is also common.

Can You Get Pregnant With Irregular Cycles?

Consult a healthcare provider about birth control options if you are sexually active or plan to be.

It typically begins in your mid to late 40s and lasts several years.

It is withdrawal bleeding due to synthetic hormone variations.

Consult a healthcare provider if:

Pregnancy

Pregnancytypically causes you to miss your period.

Variations in menstrual cycles can also occur due to hormonal shifts after delivery or pregnancy loss.

Pregnancy can also causeimplantation bleedingwhen the embryo first burrows into the uterus.

This jot down of bleeding usually occurs about 10 to 14 days after conception.

Implantation bleeding is typically lighter than menstrual bleeding.

Some women mistake it for their period because it often occurs around the same time.

One of the most common symptoms is absent periods or shorter or longer than average cycles.

Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroidsare benign (noncancerous) growths in the uterus.

Most never cause symptoms and resolve on their own.

It typically occurs due to asexually transmitted infection (STI).

Many women are unaware they have PID because it may not initially cause symptoms.

However, PID can lead to the following:

Treatment for PID involves antibiotics.

Theendocrine systemincludes the pituitary, thyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands, and ovaries.

Example disorders include:

Endocrine disorders typically require medical intervention.

If your provider suspects you have one of these disorders, they may send you to anendocrinologistspecializing in hormones.

Other causes include puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause, hormonal birth control, and health conditions.

The average menstrual cycle (time between bleeding) is 28 days.

It is irregular when it’s less than 21 or more than 35 days.

When you dont have a period five days past the expected date, it is considered late.

Not having a period for six weeks is considered a missed period.

Its important to track your menstrual period to know when something is different for you.

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